Coupeville Sports

Thanks to the weather, Coupeville grappler Alex Turner gets to skip regionals and head directly to the state meet. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Snowmageddon is working out really well for Alex Turner.

Thanks to the snow, ice, and (possible) high winds which are plaguing Western Washington, this weekend’s regional wrestling tournaments have been called off.

Instead, all grapplers still in contention for a state title are being bumped right along to Mat Classic Feb. 15-16 at the Tacoma Dome.

The state meet brackets will be doubled in size to allow for the change.

Turner, a senior at Coupeville High School, won a sub-regional title at 170 pounds last weekend and was originally set to travel to Meridian High School with coach Tyson Boon Saturday for regionals.

Instead, after being an alternate to state as a junior, when he was attending South Whidbey High School, he’s guaranteed to cap his career on the big mat.

Based on his sub-regional title, the lone Wolf grappler will carry a #1 seed to the state meet, as well.

With some regional sites more likely to be affected than others by the weather, there was originally discussion some meets might be held Sunday or Monday, while others planned to go on, no matter how high drifts got.

But, after much deliberation, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association itself stepped in Friday morning, and put the issue to rest.

Brian Smith, the WIAA Assistant Executive Director, released the following statement:

Good Morning,

Due to the weather conditions, the WIAA has decided to cancel the regional tournaments. In the best interest of safety and equal opportunity for our participants, we believe it is the right decision at this time.

We are planning on adjusting the state bracket from a 16 person to a 32 person bracket. More details will be posted once the Mat Classic Managers work through those details.

I want to thank you for all your work in preparation as well as your patience with this office as we make these difficult decisions.

Let’s make sure the wrestling community is aware of the change and prepared to help us as we take on this challenge.

Please share this news with all of your participating schools.

Thanks for your work,

Brian